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take, ultimately it’s up to restaurant and bar operators to sell their customers on Washington wines. “It all comes down to education on our part as a sommelier,” declares Powlovich, who believes in the power of hand-selling. In addition, Washington wines are often spotlighted on Grill 23’s “Th e $23 List.” Th ose are featured wines discounted at $23 on Sundays and Mondays in the dining room. Eno Vino’s wine locker program is an opportunity for Cameron to showcase interesting wines, including those from Washington. Each month she adds a new wine to members’ lockers for them to try. Wine and Tapas Tastings on Wednesdays are another promotional venue; it’s a three-course dinner paired with three wines. “Washington wines tend to pop up quite a bit, because there are so many varietals I can off er,” says the wine director. Eno Wine Bar was honored with a Washington Wine The Artist Point in Walt Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge Resort in Orlando features a solid range of Washington wines. contains a map of Washington indicating the growing regions. “It’s just a graphic element, but I think it’s helpful for customers to see where the wines come from,” say the wine director. “With awareness of the state with room to grow, it will be some time before the sub-regions can begin to make names for themselves,” says Pennington. “Once we establish the state in consumers’ minds then we can provide opportunities for them to learn more about our appellations.” “Washington came a little late to the wine game,” posits Harney. “Other than Chateau Ste. Michelle, the wines don’t have a lot of recognition across the country.” Sullivan’s sommelier Dorgan agrees that, “Part of the issue is that the majority of the wineries have very small production and are not distributed outside of the state.” “Th e biggest challenge I face is fi nding vendors who can bring the wines into Florida. Th ere are many wonderful boutique wineries that I am not able to get here,” laments Scheifl er. FINDING A NICHE Just as Oregon made its reputation by focusing on pinot noir, some observers feel that Washington would benefi t from a similar strategy. “Washington is still fi nding its niche,” observes Powlovich. It might help, he says, if the state were to latch onto a grape and a region, like Oregon did with pinot noir and Burgundy. “You can’t compare American syrah to the Rhône wines, but if Washington could fi nd a way to connect, that could help.” “If Washington were known for one particular grape, that might be good for marketing, make it easier for consumers to grasp,” concedes Dorgan. But he believes the diversity of grapes grown in Washington—malbec, tempranillo, grenache and Albariño to name just a few—is one of the state’s strong points. “It’s not a one-trick pony.” Whichever direction vintners 44 | JULY/AUGUST 2011 Restaurant Award for its wine list and promotes that award on its website and social media pages, as well as in a blurb on its wine list. But, says Harney, most promotion is via hand-selling. “When businessmen come in asking for a California Cab, our staff will turn the page to introduce them to a comparable Washington wine,” explains the wine director. Th e wine bar also spotlights lesser-known, niche Washington wineries like Buty or Dusted Valley, when winemakers walk around to talk with customers and engage them one on one. At these events, Harney pours entry level wines as well as the reserves. By turning blind tastings into a game on Sundays and Mondays, Eno Wine Bar encourages education and experimentation. Customers try to guess the country, grape, style, age and other factors in a fl ight of three wines, which are priced according to the score, from $5.05 for an ace to $18 for nonstarter. “It’s fun but it can be humbling,” notes Harney. “Th e low-alcohol, high-acid wines from Washington are perfect for pairing with food,” says Scheifl er. Artist Point’s dinner menu suggests a wine pairing for every dish. For example, Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Berkshire Pork Belly is paired with a Kiona Lemberger. Guests can also take away a PDF fi le of the wine list so they can look for them at their local shop. Dorgan promotes local wines via quarterly wine dinners and weekly Tuesday tastings, which spotlight specifi c wineries. “I’m very into staff education,” says the sommelier. He conducts frequent fi eld trips to wineries. PASSING THE STATE LINE. Sommeliers can’t keep their delicious secret for long. Th e tide will turn for Washington. “Right now I don’t feel that Washington wine is as popular as California,” concedes Cameron at Eno Vino. But she says her customers are requesting more wines from the Northwest and she will add more to her list. “Washington produces some really great wines and the more people learn about them, the more they will experiment and try other regions besides California.” Th omas Henry Strenk is a Brooklyn-based freelancer who writes about all things drinkable. www.cheersonline.com